Calvary Baptist Church, Dothan
A group of 70 (the overwhelming majority were middle and high school youth) went on a missions trip to Vermont a few years ago. Because most of the churches there are small (attendance fewer than 60 weekly), we had to split up into three church Vacation Bible Schools and one sports camp at a private school.
Before we left home, some of our adult leaders had done a wonderful job equipping these dedicated young people to teach and, for several years, they had also been trained to share the Lord Jesus Christ. All of our labor of love for the living Savior was done with excellence.
At one church, the response was small and when two of our youth saw some children playing across the road, they immediately recruited the kids, but they would not go inside the church building. Then an adjustment was made to hold a session in the beautiful outdoors. Toward the end of the week, two of our recruited children prayed to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and experienced the forgiveness of sins. They also made a very bold request when taught that baptism does not save you but is a major step of obedience. They wanted one of our teenage boys to baptize them. Our host pastor gave his unreserved approval and visited their mom and dad to make sure that we had their support. The parents said, “Yes.”
Some of our dear young people worked to dam up the creek that ran immediately behind the church building, and we gathered at noon on Thursday for two of the most Spirit-filled baptisms that I have ever witnessed. Standing by a man and a woman, I introduced myself and found out they were the parents. They shared their own embarrassment because they, too, had been born again and baptized but quit the church because of the critical spirit of some folks.
The parents were repentant that their children were saved and baptized so late because of their neglect. Without questioning, they also committed to a new relationship with the Lord and to their church and to boldly stand beside their pastor.
The Father uses all of us, regardless of age, to make an eternal difference.
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